An interesting tradition has been formed in the scope of the Summer and Autumn Schools on European Law; as a rule the participants take a photo in the group leap. On 2 October, the 3rd Fall School on European Law ended with a leap from the earth, as well as with the flight of the scientific mind. The theme of this School on European Law was “Protection of Human Rights.” During the five days the participants gained opportunity to familiarize with the European Law with the help of European experts.
Several years ago, this school which is being organized for already three years seemed a dream. “I always dreamt that one day a School on European Law will be founded in Armenia. And actually this opportunity was provided to us, and we in cooperation with our partners founded the school. I believe that today the School on European Law is already established,” Mr. Karen Zadoyan, President of AYLA, Head of Board of Trustees of the Law Foundation of Armenia, Director of the Autumn School on European Law said in the interview.
“We have had about 55 graduates in the first and second schools together. The number of graduates of the third school today is 28. Altogether 83 graduates. I should say it is really a notable potential for deepening the European legal values in Armenia; to spread the European Law; as well as for the development of the mechanisms for the protection of human rights. Our very real and the most tangible achievement is just this, the fact that we have 83 trained young individuals who bear the European values, and what is more important are ready and willing to distribute these values among the public,” Mr. Zadoyan noted.
Ms Nelly Tumasyan, Local Coordinator of German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation (IRZ) in Armenia believes that this year the participants’ preparedness level is really high. “I simply have not seen passive participants. All are really active, and I am really pleased. We hope that next year we shall continue involving new experts and participants,” our interlocutor said.
Ms Zhanna Simonyan is a practicing lawyer at “Concern Dialogue” Company. She said that her expectations were realized. “The selection of the themes was interesting, and the practical work was well organized too. Since I am basically working in the civil sphere, I need to get acquainted with the provisions of the European Convention of Human Rights more thoroughly and learn about the precedents. And this was realized,” she said.
Ms Gohar Vardanyan is a student at YSU, and shall be a political scientist/lawyer, currently works at the court of First instance. She said the autumn school provided her quite a lot of information in a really short period of time. “It was interesting and there was the European experience. I am a working in practice and I find it interesting to compare and draw parallels between our and the European practice,” said Gohar.
This year the organizers of the autumn school focused on the ECHR case-law. “First they discussed the theoretical part, then there were discussions on the articles. Further, analysis of specific rules and the ECHR and national decisions on these were made. During the group works the participants further deepened the knowledge they gained through practice,” Miss Syuzanna Soghomonyan, AYLA Board Member said in the interview.
Organizers of the Falls School on European Law are: German Fund for International Legal Cooperation (IRZ), The Law Foundation of Armenia, and Armenian Young Lawyers Association Non-Governmental Organization.
